


Merlin, Season 3, Episode 6, The Changeling

by TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Analysis, Episode Review, Episode: s03e06 The Changeling, Meta, Nonfiction, Season/Series 03, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 08:45:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16114916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer/pseuds/TheSomewhatRamblingReviewer
Summary: Warning: Contains spoilers for the episode and the rest of the series. Complete.





	Merlin, Season 3, Episode 6, The Changeling

Open to a baby in what looks to be a dangerously placed bassinet. It’s not on the ground, and the way it’s shaking makes me worry.

Flying in the open window, a Sidhe infects the baby with blue magic, and waking up, the baby starts crying. There’s further shaking of the bassinet.

20 years later, the baby is all grown up and looks to have a stable bed. Elena doesn’t have much use for grooming, fashion, and is completely un-self-conscious.

This will all change by the end of the episode.

Men are allowed to have such things as hairy legs, messy hair, rumbled-clothes, etc., and still be considered clean and acceptable. When a woman does, however, it’s a sign she’s either bad or under some form of possession.

Outside, Elena’s father wants her to ride to Camelot in a carriage, but she’d rather ride a horse. Her nursemaid chases after her, and I’m dubbing said nursemaid G-Hilda. Elena is given uncomfortable-looking shoes to wear, and she reluctantly puts them on.

At Camelot, everyone waits for their arrival, and Uther tries to get Arthur excited about Elena’s presence. He’s a babbling idiot due to not wanting to admit he wants Arthur and Elena to marry for political reasons, and Arthur has no sympathy for his father’s plight.

The G family arrives, and Uther finally explains about out the whole arranged marriage bit to Arthur, and then, quickly scurries down to greet them.

Trying to curtsey, Elena ends up falling. No one shows any concern. I would have thought, somewhat klutzy Merlin would show some sympathy, if not concern, but no.

There’s a segue to Arthur talking to Gwen. He asks if the G-family has been deposited in the best guest quarters. They have, and Gwen assures him Elena was impressed. Arthur orders Merlin to try to deliver their bags before they arrive, despite the fact Gwen’s line establishes Elena, at least, has already been there.

With Merlin gone, Arthur tells her about the arranged marriage. He insists he isn’t going to go through with it. Trying to hide her jealously, she claims she doesn’t care.

Later, Merlin is tidying things as Arthur gets ready for bed, and it’s established Elena’s mother died when Elena was a baby. To lighten the mood, Merlin insults both Arthur and the woman who has done nothing against Merlin, hasn’t (yet) given any evidence of being a threat to Camelot, and who was tragically orphaned at a young age. Arthur throws a pillow, and it almost hits an entering Uther.

Leaving, Merlin takes the pillow with him.

Uther makes it clear Arthur needs do to marry Elena for the sake of Camelot.

In Elena’s chambers, she’s having night terrors, and G-Hilda pours some sparkly, gold powder on her. Elena’s face briefly takes on a Sidhe shape, and her night terrors cease.

Next, G-Hilda goes to the lake. She takes on a different form, and talking to the Sidhe king reveals Elena has a Sidhe living inside her who will appear once Elena and Arthur marry.

Princesses must be thin, preferably blonde, and if they’re not perfectly groomed and display proper etiquette when appropriate, they’re either evil or the product of preternatural possession.

The next day, Elena and Arthur are preparing to go horseback riding. Arthur tries to help her on the horse, but she needs no help. Then, she rudely rides off and leaves him behind. Arthur jumps on his to go after her.

When they stop, he tries to compliment her, and she treats him more in the vein of how he’s used to male friends treating one another than how he believes a woman commonly treats a man.

Realising things are awkward for him, she starts to feel awkward herself. Explaining that she loves riding, it’s made clear she isn’t able to as often to as she’d like. When she tells him about her mother’s reputation as an excellent horsewoman, they have a brief moment over having to grow up never having known their mothers. It’s still awkward on both parts, but given time, they could probably be good friends.

He gives her a rose, and she sneezes all over him. The ironic, vaguely sad thing is his usual reaction to something like this is to insult and smack the person upside the head, but he manages to restrain himself. If he didn’t, though, Elena would probably feel much more comfortable.

To be clear: There’s a difference between a male hitting a female without having a legitimate need to defend himself/others and mates of any gender cuffing the other on the back of the head.

Thankfully for them both, Merlin appears. Pulling him aside, Arthur desperately orders him not to leave him (Arthur), again.

When the two return, Elena awkwardly hugs Arthur, thanks him, starts to leave, and trips on the stairs.

Later, at the feast, G-Hilda flirts with Gaius. It’s framed as if Elena eats a lot, and this is followed by her getting the hiccups.

In response, Gwen gives Arthur a brief, sympathetic squeeze on the shoulder.

Oh, yes, heaven forbid a woman show imperfections such as having natural bodily functions.

During the night, Elena starts to feel self-conscious about her lack of conventional, narrative-approved femininity.

A princess can wear trousers and be a fearsome warrior, but if she’s over a certain size, doesn’t always look fashionable, is socially awkward, and/or reveals herself to have natural bodily functions, well, nothing doing.

G-Hilda is awesome here. She makes it clear Elena doesn’t need to be a perfect princess. However, G-Hilda is a joke and evil, and in the end, no one cares what happens to her.

Elena wants to make the marriage work, because, she knows how much it means to her father and respects his judgement. G-Hilda wants the marriage, too, but she doesn’t want Elena to have to worry about not living up to the unrealistic societal requirements of noblewomen.

Then, she gives Elena a live frog/toad, and Elena eats it.

I can buy Elena being sheltered and only talking to her father about certain things, but this has never come up with anyone? She has no idea this is not normal?

The next day, Merlin is gathering stuff in the forests when he sees G-Hilda. Following her, he sees her catching flies with her toad/frog like tongue. This makes her giving Elena a toad/frog even more disturbing.

In the next scene, Merlin tells Gaius.

Then, when Gaius sneaks into either Elena or G-Hilda’s quarters, he finds the pouch of sparkly, gold powder. He’s caught by G-Hilda. She seems to think he’s there to have some non-platonic fun with her, but he claims to be wondering if Elena would like him to make her some special perfume.

Because, an old servant man breaking into a either princess’s room or her nursemaid’s and talking about giving gifts to the of marriageable age, presumably virginal princess isn’t creepy or a massive breach of etiquette at all.

As it is, G-Hilda doesn’t believe him. She’s determined he came due to an attraction to her, and assuring him Elena won’t be back for a long time, she suggests they make sweet perfume together.

The next scene has him telling Merlin about the pixie dust he found. He reveals G-Hilda is attracted to him, and Merlin goes on about how disgusting this is.

Yes, because, G-Hilda is short, stout, and has grey hair; a woman like this having sexual desire, and even worse, the self-confidence to express it, is evil or, at least, a massive joke.

Changing the subject, Gaius exposits pixies are servants of the Sidhe and that Elena is likely unknowingly inhabited by a Sidhe who will completely take over soon.

Over to Arthur, Morgana, and Uther having dinner with Gwen serving. Thinking Arthur is going to propose to Elena soon, Uther tries to get advice from Morgana on how his son can do it properly. Morgana notices said son and Gwen exchange a look, and Arthur insists he won’t marry someone he doesn’t love. Uther insists he will.

Meanwhile, Merlin is spying on G-Hilda sprinkling the pixie dust on Elena, and he manages to knock some things over. He quickly rushes away, but G-Hilda gets a partial look at him.

Talking to Gaius, he makes it clear he doesn’t care what happens to Elena. He wants to tell Uther. Gaius points out they can’t just tell Uther his close friend has a Sidhe for a daughter and a pixie for said daughter’s nursemaid. He doesn’t say it, but the fact Uther would try to kill both Elena and G-Hilda should maybe be a concern to them.

Gaius wants to an exorcism of sorts, and Merlin is just like, ‘But I don’t know Sidhe magic, so, let’s just let an innocent girl be killed, yeah?’

No, Gaius insists they try to save Elena.

The next day, Arthur and Merlin are walking together, and Morgana watches them from a window. Gwen is near, and informing her Arthur will have to marry Elena, even if his heart happens to belong to another, she says she knows Gwen likes Arthur.

Denying this, Gwen leaves.

In Gaius’s study, Merlin is complaining about all the research they’re doing, and Gaius finds something he thinks might work. The only problem is, he doesn’t know what half the required ingredients are, and Merlin silently goes back to wishing they could just let Uther kill the innocent woman and her admittedly not-so-innocent nursemaid.

Over to Arthur’s room, Gwen urges him to marry Elena and be a good king. Both Angel Coulby and Bradley James do a wonderful job with this scene, but unfortunately, it simply doesn’t work for me.

In the crown room, Merlin wants Gaius to hurry up with the potion, but there’s some problems with obtaining certain ingredients. Addressing the room, Arthur gives a speech I really like. Even though he’s visibly pained, he does sincerely mean most of what he’s saying. Unfortunately, it’s just where he’s setting the speech up to end isn’t the ending he wants.

Kneeling down, he asks Elena to marry him.

Back at Gaius’s, a mud-covered Merlin comes in with a rare flower needed. Finally showing some concern, he he asks if this exorcism is going to hurt Elena. Gaius promises it won’t.

At the river, G-Hilda tells the Sidhe king about Merlin knowing, and he’s angry.

Yet, some of the Sidhe were willing to accept Arthur’s soul two seasons ago. How would there have been a Sidhe queen if this had happened?

Next, the Sidhe king goes to kill Merlin, and Merlin kills him. In the process, however, he breaks the vial containing the exorcism potion.

In Elena’s quarters, she’s burping, and G-Hilda is chattering. Elena isn’t sure about the marriage, but G-Hilda insists the fact Elena and Arthur respect one another is enough.

Elsewhere, it turns out, Merlin and Gaius managed to save/recreate the potion. Gaius wonders how they’re going to get Elena to drink it with G-Hilda around, and Merlin gets a mischievous look.

Cue Gaius asking G-Hilda if they can meet in the vaults where it’s nice and private. She happily agrees.

In the vault, Merlin promises to take a wait-and-see approach in regards to the whole situation, and Gaius makes it clear Merlin is to rescue him if the need arises. G-Hilda comes, and Merlin sneaks out. They manage to lock her in the vault, though, they still leave her conscious.

They walk, and there are shots of people gathering for the wedding intercepted with her using magic to get out of the vault.

She comes after them, and Merlin promises to hold her off.

Gaius sneaks into Elena’s room, and naturally, Elena doesn’t realise how creepy and unacceptable this would look to most people. She’s fretting about G-Hilda not being around, and then, she hears the sounds of battle outside. Lying it’s wedding preparations going on, he claims the potion is a nerve tonic. Only drinking a bit of it, she makes it known how overwhelming and confusing this all is.

Meanwhile, Merlin kills G-Hilda.

This is sad. No matter what her evil plan, she did genuinely care for Elena, and Elena cared deeply for her.

Next, he goes to Elena’s room. She still hasn’t drank all of the potion. Tired of all this, he hands Gaius the staff, forcibly takes the potion, says, “Elena, this is going to make you feel a whole lot better,” holds her nose, tilts her head back, and pours the rest of it into her mouth.

Well, no one can say Merlin doesn’t get things done.

The Sidhe leaves, and Merlin kills it. Elena regains consciousness, and they tell her she fainted. Revealing she feels amazing, she asks where G-Hilda is.

“We’ll look into it,” they answer.

Elsewhere, Merlin brings Arthur his ceremonial sword, and when Arthur makes a statement about falling on it, Merlin asks what’s wrong. This seems misplaced since everyone, with the possible exception of King G, knows Arthur’s isn’t excitedly going into this marriage. Arthur talks about destiny, and Merlin agrees they can be troublesome things.

They have a moment, and Arthur wants Merlin’s honest opinion.

I don’t completely agree with it, but I do like some of Merlin’s speech. Mainly, what I like is Merlin’s statement an unhappy king isn’t going to make for a strong kingdom.

Arthur goes to the throne room. In it, Elena now has non-wild hair, and declaring her beautiful, her father links arms with her. She and Arthur start to do a hand-fasting ceremony, but Arthur protests. Elena agrees she doesn’t want the marriage, either.

The next scene has Uther yelling at Arthur, but Arthur stands firm.

Next, it’s time for the G-family to leave, and King G wonders where G-Hilda is.

They’re not conducting a search or anything. She was Elena’s surrogate mother and best friend, but she was fat, old, and had the audacity to show overt sexuality. Since Elena is now a proper princess, why should she care? Uther has a line about her turning up eventually, and this is enough to make King G decide to leave Camelot for his kingdom.

The Gs are content to literally leave a citizen of their kingdom in a foreign kingdom despite her close connection to the crown for what I’m presuming to be close to a decade.

Elena comes out, and at the bottom of the steps, Arthur notes to Merlin there’s something different about her.

Yes, she’s a proper princess.

Coming down, she surprises Arthur by offering her hand to kiss. Since she’s no longer possessed, she automatically knows and wishes to adhere to societal mandates.

King G praises Arthur to Uther.

I don’t mind the praise, but: Dude, you don’t even realise your own kid has undergone a massive change. How can you be trusted to accurately judge anyone else’s?

Arthur and Merlin go inside, and when they see Gwen, Merlin disappears. Arthur and Gwen have a chemistry-less flirting session.

I’m glad Elena was saved from possession, and I know some of her actions were the result of the Sidhe possessing her. However, I don’t like the implication only a possessed princess would have her personality.

Fin.


End file.
